Kerala Fish Curry with Appam

About Kerala Fish Curry with Appam

Ingredients

• Basa fish fillets 250 gms
• Coconut oil 2 tbsps
• Mustard seeds 1 tsp
• Fenugreek seds (methi dana) ½ tsp
• Curry leaves 10
• Green chillies, slit 3
• Ginger, chopped 2 tbsps
• Garlic, chopped 2 tbsps
• Medium onions, chopped 2
• Salt to taste
• Turmeric powder 1 tsp
• Red chilli powder 1 tsp
• Crushed black peppercorns 1 tsp
• Medium tomatoes, chopped 2
• Coconut milk 300 ml
• Tamarind pulp 1 tbsp
• Raw rice 200 gms
• Parboiled rice 100 gms
• Sugar 2 tbsps
• Yeast 1 tbsp

How to Make Kerala Fish Curry with Appam (Stepwise Photos)

Method

1. To make fish curry, heat coconut oil in a deep non-stick pan, add mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves and green chillies and let the seeds splutter. Add ginger, garlic, onions and salt, mix and saute till onions are lightly browned.
2. Add turmeric powder, ½ tsp red chilli powder, crushed black peppercorns, tomatoes and a little water and cook for 10 minutes.
3. Cube fish fillet and marinate with some salt and remaining red chilli powder for 5 minutes.
4. Add 200 ml coconut milk and tamarind pulp and mix well.
5. Add fish, mix gently and cook for 2-3 minutes.
6. To make the appam, rinse both the rice together a couple of times. Soak them overnight.
7. Drain and put them in a mixer jar and grind to a fine batter. Transfer into a deep vessel. Add salt, sugar and remaining coconut milk and mix nicely. Let it ferment overnight.
8. Add yeast and mix well and set aside for the yeast to prove.
9. To make the appam, heat a non-stick appam kadai, pour a ladle full of batter in it and swirl the kadai so that the batter spreads evenly on the sides. Most of the batter collects in the centre.
10. Cover the kadai and let appam cook. The base would become nicely light golden.
11. Serve the appam hot or warm with fish curry.

Additional Tips and Tricks

About chef

Chef Ajay Chopra

Having worked in London and had great exposure to the International restaurant scene, Ajay brings a refreshing approach to Indian food culture.

Know More

Chaitrali Deshmukh

Thank you for the amazing instructions.

I have success w/ my dosa but does not last long stored in the refrigerator.

Maybe I am fermenting for too long, or add the salt before the rise?

I also was wondering if it is important to blend separately or can it be blended all together?

Reply

Chef Saransh Goila

Hi Chaitrali,
Yes, cut down the fermentation time and add salt only to the required portion at the time of making the dosa. Also storing in smaller containers just enough for a day helps. Once the batter in a larger container is disturbed (by stirring or scooping out a little etc), I feel it turns sour faster. You can blend them together if you want. But we do it separately because we want the dal batter to become fluffy and the rice batter slightly coarse. Fluffy dal batter makes the dosas light and coarse rice batter makes them extra crispy without making the dosas hard. Hope this helps